Hotspots are becoming more and more problematic with newer IC technologies. For purposes of this disclosure, a hotspot refers to a specific area on an IC chip that exhibits a relatively high operating temperature as compared to the normal operating temperature range exhibited across the IC chip. Hotspot development in newer IC technologies is generally understood to be the result of semiconductor device scaling that has lead to an increase in semiconductor device density (i.e., an increase in the number of semiconductor devices per unit area on an IC chip) and also the result of the high switching frequencies. When the number and/or switching frequency of power generating semiconductor devices within a specific area of an IC chip are relatively high, then the operating temperature associated with that specific area would also be relatively high. Hotspots are problematic because temperature-dependent increases in electromigration (EM) and voltage drops (also referred to in the art as IR drops) that occur in such areas can create reliability and functionality issues. Therefore, there is a need in the art for improved temperature-aware design methods and systems.